- Your First Nursing Job in Canada -
Here's What You Need to Know
You can get a nursing job in Canada if you
complete the requirements to become a registered nurse. Employment opportunities are usually plentiful
and more RN jobs will become available in the future because of expected retirements.
You cannot work as a nurse unless you are registered with a nursing regulatory body in one of the
provinces.
Your nursing job search may be slowed down by the regulation that governs the nursing profession
under specific nursing laws in
each province. A valid nursing license is required in order to work as a nurse.
You cannot even call yourself a nurse unless you are registered with the regulatory nursing organization.
This applies to all types of nursing in Canada
Getting Started with your Nursing Job Search
Canadian
Nursing Job Facts
73% of nurses work in general duty or staff nurse positions providing direct care to patients.
www.cna-aiic.ca
Your job search starts with the process for registration.
You must contact the regulatory body of the province you want to work in.
Registration requirements might vary slightly from province to province but generally you
will find that registration requirements state that you must:
Once your application for registration is accepted by the
licensing body you are allowed to
apply to write the national nursing entrance test.
Once the nursing exam is written you are eligible to
apply for an interim or temporary permit. This permit gives you permission to work in RN jobs
as long as your employer agrees.
Once your exam results are known then you can proceed to complete
the registration process. It generally takes about 6 weeks to know the results of your exam.
If you do not pass the nursing entrance test for Canada the interim permit is revoked and you cannot work as a registered nurse.
Some provinces will require a satisfactory work experience before registration is
finalized. This work experience can be achieved with the temporary or interim nursing license.
This requirement exists in order to make sure that registrants who pass the
exam can also be successful in nurse employment in the
Canadian health care setting. Generally this ranges from about 250 -400 hours
but not all provinces have this requirement.
Tips to Help You Get Your Nursing Job in Canada
- Regulatory agencies will not help you with a nursing job search. It is the role of the regulatory agencies
to work in the interest of the public not the nursing profession. They must ensure that all candidates entering the nursing profession will work in the interest of the public and
practice competently. They do not help with placement for jobs in nursing.
See the definition of "in the public interest"
The Nursing Profession
- Never pay an agency a fee. Agencies that recruit for nurse employment receive their
money from the hospital/employer. There are some agencies that are simply unscrupulous
and will ask you for money as a fee to help you secure nurse employment. Quite frankly it is
simply not necessary. Jobs in nursing are not usually that hard to find although the job market does fluctuate with the economic and political conditions in the country.
Once you have received a nursing license, employment should not be that hard to find depending, of course, on the location and the nursing job market at that particular time.
If the labour market is poor and employers are not hiring, an agency cannot get you employment faster than if you just apply on your own.
Spend your time and money on the immigration process if necessary.
- Do not surrender your passport or any other documents to any agency or organization
that promises to help you get a nursing employment.
- Start your preparation for Canadian registration early.
The Canadian Registered Nurse Exam and the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Exam are
only offered three times
per year. You may require
English language upgrading.
Some provinces such as British Columbia, may require that you meet all English language
benchmarks before your application for a nursing license will be accepted.
If you have to meet English language requirements before you can apply for your nursing license, it
can be a long process!
Nursing Careers in Canada
Here is the contact information for the
regulatory nursing organizations in each province.
Information on
How to Make a Resume
Nursing Job Interview Tips
Health Care Job Site - Where to Start Your Nursing Job Search in Canada
Go back to Registered Nursing Shortage in Canada